Niki Lauda: Former F1 world champion released from hospital after lung problems

Lauda had a double lung transplant in August

THREE-time Formula 1 world champion Niki Lauda has been released from hospital in Austria after treatment for influenza.

The 69-year-old Austrian, who had a lung transplant in August, became ill during a family holiday in Ibiza over the Christmas period. He was taken to the Vienna General Hospital, where he had his transplant, to be treated by doctors there.

The hospital confirmed he had been discharged on Wednesday. Lauda won the world drivers’ title in 1975, 1977 and 1984 with Ferrari and McLaren.

In 1976, he crashed during the German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring, suffering severe burns to his face, hands and lungs but returned to action six weeks later.

He later became an airline entrepreneur and was appointed as Mercedes’ non-executive chairman in 2012. He was involved in the signing of five-time world champion Lewis Hamilton to the team.